Background
The Red Square, which is the heart of the Russian capital, is a
major tourist attraction. The proclivity of businesses to use such
name in their interest may be understandable. A company named LLC
Red Square registered the eponymous trademark RED SQUARE in Classes
36 and 37, even though the goods at issue (metals, ores,
construction materials and insurance services) had little
association with the Red Square. Two years ago, the company went
bankrupt and the trademark was held in abeyance for some time.
Subsequently, Azamat Ibatullin, an entrepreneur from the city of
Ufa, filed a request to assign the mark to himself and register it
in his name.
Ibatullin is a notorious trademark squatter. He has registered
many trademarks in his name, including TOP GEAR - which resulted in
a
conflict with the BBC. The reason why he sought to obtain the
trademark RED SQUARE is unclear.
